Adult Newsletter: January 2024

Up And Coming For Submission

FICTION

In her debut novel, THE RATIO OF FUN, Julie Morrison serves up a witty, sexy, and joyfully funny coming-of-middle-age story about the enduring importance of female friendship and the surprise of finding a second wind in the most unexpected place. Jane Tillman has been nosediving for years—big music career in her twenties, minor celebrity in her thirties, dormant but content through most of her forties, and currently floundering on the edge of fifty. She’s been publicly dumped, unceremoniously fired, and dreadfully hungover. Her ex even wrote an article in Esquire about how infidelity made him feel primally masculine and creatively potent. But on their weekly dinner date in Brooklyn, Jane's best friends hatch a plan to lift her out of her deep and plentiful ruts—two weeks together at a summer camp for adults in the Catskills called Apple Lake, a place not just for twenty-somethings, but for people like themselves—people in their prime. With its charming woodland cabins, clubhouse parties, and freedom from phones, swipes, and likes, Apple Lake becomes a throwback to an earlier time in the campers’ lives, a place of new romance, fast friendships, spicy flings, and unforgettable scandals. But when a shocking secret threatens to ruin it all, can Jane use the lessons she's learned at a place meant for kids to finally grow into the person she wants to be? Because ultimately, there’s no escaping the complications of middle life, even in the seclusion of a camp like Apple Lake.

Shirley never wanted to live in the house where her father murdered her mother. For the moment, though, it just makes sense. The house is paid off, and they only have to live there until her husband, Nate, finishes renovating their new home. But Shirley can't wait to get out. Things aren't right in the house. There are the strange noises at night that Nate denies hearing. There's the way he seems to be avoiding her ever since they moved in. There’s the food and wine that keep going missing. Shirley begins waking up with dirt on the soles of her feet and starts experiencing gaps in time and in her memory. As seemingly unrelated events—a missing woman, an escaped criminal, an accident that almost kills their neighbor—come together and threats move ever-closer, Shirley comes to realize her husband may not be what he seems. There could really be someone else in the house, but what's happening is more horrifying than anything she could have imagined. NO ONE ELSE IN HERE by Cindy R. X. He (whose YA debut Perfect Little Monsters is forthcoming in 2024) is an engrossing and electrifying novel that combines the heart wrenching twist of Catriona Ward's The Last House on Needless Street with the blurred lines between thriller and horror of Riley Sager's Home Before Dark. (Please note, Michael Bourret is the agent on this project.)

Decades ago, Lawrence Bernthal bought 50 acres of remote Bay Area property and built the house of his dreams. Now, he’s a frail widower trapped in bed by illness. But he still has his impeccable views, even if over the years, he has had to sell off parts of his property parcel by parcel. Those original 50 acres are now The Enclave, a fenced in and heavily guarded group of homes filled with multi-millionaires who believe themselves to be among the luckiest (and safest) of the area’s population. What they don’t know is that there are outsiders actively planning an assault on The Enclave. As Lawrence watches from his bedroom window, the extremely rich go about their days not knowing that two young thieves are plotting what they hope will be a masterful assault, allowing them to clear The Enclave of its residents for one perfect hour, during which time they will raid its homes, grabbing valuables before escaping into the surrounding forest. But do the marauders truly understand the power of incredible wealth? And might fire season have an effect on these carefully laid plans? In Claire Booth’s kaleidoscopic thriller, TINDERBOX, the former crime reporter turned novelist tracks a dozen characters over the course of one fateful day—a heartbroken thief, a failing venture capitalist, a forest ranger angling for a promotion, a prodigal daughter. Each will play a part in the incredible, unpredictable events of this planned siege. With the ensemble cast and propulsive action of Candice Fox's The Chase and the character-driven action plots of Mindy Mejia, TINDERBOX is a ferocious consideration of wealth disparity, a rollicking good crime story, and a killer ensemble piece. (Please note, Jim McCarthy is the agent on this project.)

When her grandmother dies, Sydney Singleton discovers she had an aunt she never knew about, one of six local Black girls to go missing in the 1960s. Finding out what happened to Carol—and why her family never talked about her—becomes her new mission. This is familiar territory for Sydney, who left journalism after an obsession with another missing girl triggered a psychotic break. And the search for answers is a welcome distraction from the rigors of fertility treatments for the baby her husband, Malik, desperately desires, but Sydney isn’t sure she actually wants. After all, with her history—and her family’s—how can she be sure she’d be the kind of mother her baby deserves? As Sydney tries to unravel a decades-old mystery, her own long-buried trauma surfaces as well—Carol’s disappearance wasn’t the only thing her family refused to talk about. And Sydney starts to realize that the possibilities in her future are pushing her to reconcile with the past. A top 10 finalist for Reese’s Book Club’s LitUp Fellowship, WE DON’T TALK ABOUT CAROL by Kristen L. Berry is a masterful blend of twisty, riveting suspense, deeply moving characters, and unforgettable storytelling. A thought-provoking debut for fans of The Vanishing Half and When the Stars Go Dark. (Please note, Sharon Pelletier is the agent for this project.)

Nobody in Manhattan eats better than Bernice Black. It’s spring 1972 and she’s New York’s busiest restaurant critic, juggling her family with the demands of fine dining. She talks fast, walks fast, and can’t stand BS—and she writes the way she eats: with sympathy, humor and love. Her favorite chef is also her mentor, Laurent Tirel, who introduced ultra-luxe French food to the city, making history—and countless enemies—along the way. Stopping by his kitchen one morning, Bernice is shocked to discover Laurent’s severed head floating in a mold of jellied aspic. With layoffs looming, she stakes her career on a desperate gamble: promising her editor she can catch Laurent's killer before the week is out. Chasing the scoop of a lifetime with a murderer on her tail, Bernice dives into sleuthing, determined to hold onto her messy, wonderful life and serve up justice at the same time. THE CHEF’S HEAD by W.M. Akers is hilarious and charming—a witty mystery steeped in vintage NYC flavor, perfect for fans of Elle Cosimano’s razor sharp thrillers and anyone who likes to eat. W.M. Akers is the author of Westside—a New York Times notable book—as well as a game designer and playwright. (Please note, Sharon Pelletier is the agent for this project.)

When Zehra Sharaf’s body is discovered in a car at the bottom of a canal, her family is shattered—and as the investigation unfolds, the illusion of their perfect teenage daughter is shattered as well. In the eyes of her Afghan community, Zehra was a rebel who had disgraced her family by running away with a boy. According to her friends, she was a young woman torn between her ultra-conservative community and her desire to live on her own terms. Soon everyone who hears about the case has their own certainty as to whether Zehra’s death was a terrible accident—or whether the Sharafs are guilty of an honor crime against their own daughter. Riveting and poignant, told through a quilt of unforgettable voices surrounding the Sharafs, GOOD PEOPLE by Patmeena Sabit traces the immigrant family’s rags-to-riches rise; moves through the year leading up to Zehra’s tragedy; and explores the aftermath as the twin forces of the police investigation and the court of public opinion draw battle lines between those who knew Zehra and her family best and those who think they know them. Inspired by a true story that occurred within the Afghan community in Montreal, Patmeena Sabit also draws on her family’s own experience as immigrants from Afghanistan to the United States; the result is a bold, searing literary debut for readers who thrill to the urgent, gorgeous storytelling of Tayari Jones and Kamila Shamsie. (Please note, Sharon Pelletier is the agent for this project.)

Ten-year-old MaryJane Abbot became America’s Sweetheart when, three days after vanishing in the small town of Whynot Valley, she was found and dramatically rescued from a mine. MaryJane’s life—and the town-- would never be the same after The Incident, as the locals call it. Twenty years later a reporter has come to Whynot to show what happened to Maryjane, but this time, MaryJane has disappeared . . . again.  On the journey of her lifetime, she’s headed to California to attend the Days of Mercy General Fan Weekend.  There she’ll finally meet the stars of her show--the only people she really cares for since The Incident showed her how cruel the real world can be. As she embarks on a cross-country bus trip, MaryJane’s dreams are almost dashed before a drag queen and an aging country music star swoop in to save her.  She and her new “friends” are soon driving a flashy convertible to the celebrity-studded event.   MaryJane never expected to become the star of the event until another life-and-death drama tests her mettle.  With the quirkiness of Eleanor Oliphant is Perfectly Fine, WHERE ARE YOU NOW, MARYJANE by Morgan Blythe is a heartwarming, coming-of-age debut featuring a woman who dares to take her life back after the extraordinary events of her childhood put her in a box of everyone else’s making.  (Please note, Ann Leslie Tuttle is the agent for this project.)

New York native Kurt Schwartz has it all: A nice apartment, a steady relationship, a good job at The Associated Press. But weeks before his fiftieth birthday, his long-term partner, Wally, confesses to a secret love affair with a septuagenarian who looks like Santa Claus. Wally leaves, and Kurt’s life shatters. With his life upended, Kurt has no choice but to start over. The search for his second act leads him to the fast-paced, gay mecca of Wilton Manors, Florida, where a hook-up gone wrong ends in Kurt reluctantly running Palatial Palms, a gay nude resort in need of some serious TLC. When not checking in a troupe of bears or a dom-sub duo, Kurt navigates a roller coaster of failed dates, acrobatically attained butt selfies, foul-mouthed parrots, tense parental check-ins, and his dubious daddy credibility in an ever-evolving queer community. As if this weren’t enough, an anonymous threatening letter reveals that someone knows Kurt’s secret: he has no business running Palatial Palms. To safeguard his newfound happiness, relationships, and hotel, Kurt must peer into his past and come to terms with the traumas that led him to Wally and Wilton in the first place. From Bill Konigsberg, the bestselling author of Openly Straight, The Porcupine of Truth, and The Bridge, comes CAGE FREE, a middle-aged coming-of-age story that bursts with heart, irreverent humor, and the heat of a Florida summer. For fans of Steven Rowley, Andrew Sean Greer, and Armistead Maupin. (Please note, Andrew Dugan is the agent for this project.)

NON-FICTION

HITLER’S RHETORIC: A HISTORY OF HATE AND SPEECH is the story of how a vulgar, demagogic agitator once destroyed a democracy with the power of rhetoric. It is the story of a man who came from little, descended to nothing, and clawed his way to unprecedented power primarily on his ability to speak. It’s a story about how he learned rhetoric through trial, error, and deliberate effort. It is a story of how he recruited his most fervent followers and persuaded millions of others to his cause. And it is a story about how he and his followers used well-worn rhetorical practices to bend speech, writing, and symbols to new and tragic ends. Scholars, journalists, and eye-witnesses have acknowledged for more than a century that Hitler’s success depended largely on what he called in Mein Kampf, “the magic power of the spoken word.” With few exceptions, however, even the most insightful analysts and observers have not managed to explain how Hitler’s rhetoric actually worked, preferring to describe him as an oratorical magician. But the belief in Hitler’s magic is little more than Nazi propaganda. In HITLER’S RHETORIC, one of the world’s leading experts on Nazi rhetoric, Dr. Ryan Skinnell, associate professor at San José State University, argues forcefully that Hitler’s persuasive practices were not magical—they were rhetorical. And he warns that if we don’t learn history’s rhetorical lessons, we may once again find ourselves in a global war with hateful, persuasive despots.

“How much do you know about the Beulah baby farm?” This question from a reader sent award-winning investigative reporter and NYT bestselling author Mardi Link seeking answers. In ANOMALY OF THE HEART: A SECRET HISTORY OF ADOPTION, Link documents how before Roe v. Wade and before social reformers or adoption laws, a network of grifters used false promises of free medical care and spiritual renewal to trap pregnant women in ramshackle maternity homes and sold their babies to the highest bidder. One of these fraudsters was Edward Brooks, who lured hundreds of pregnant women out of Chicago to his “summer camp” in Beulah, a village in northern Michigan. Between 1920 and 1940, similar homes operated in Maine, Connecticut, upstate New York, Texas, Missouri, and California, until reformers shut them down. By then, dozens of mothers and hundreds of babies had died, their very existence lost to history. Until now. Through painstaking research and interviews with descendants, Link, an adoptee herself whose own birth mother was confined to a “modernized” 1960s-era maternity home, uncovers these women’s stories. Among Link’s revelations is an unmarked cemetery in the woods near Beulah, where Brooks buried 27 babies, scribbling “anomaly of the heart” on official records as their cause of death. Words like “human trafficking,” and “domestic supply of infants” certainly weren’t in use a century ago, yet Link, a 2023 finalist for Scripps-Howard’s First Amendment Award, makes a direct connection between past and present in this timely work.

On a cold dawn in June, Patrick LaForge, the editor who built The New York Times's digital breaking news team, was sitting in deep silence on a cushion in a big red barn in the Hudson Valley with a dozen other Zen meditators. As the sun rose, he could hear hundreds of birds singing and the sounds of a working farm waking up. He held himself still, focusing on his body and breath, letting thoughts rise and fall. Usually, he was never far from a screen, often sleeping with his phone by his side. Now he was under a vow of silence and had not looked at an email, text, headline, news alert or tweet in days. It was an unlikely situation for someone in his line of work. A 40-year veteran of journalism who had lived through the decline of print newspapers and the rise of the internet, LaForge had been a pioneer of online news and had played a role in major stories: the 9/11 attacks, political scandals, endless wars, countless mass shootings, deadly hurricanes and wildfires, the pandemic, and the aftermath of the January 6 insurrection. He and his team had perfected the art of hooking readers on nonstop updates, helping the Times to thrive while other news outlets went out of business. But the 24/7 cycle of trauma and trivia had taken a stressful toll. In DEADLINE ZEN, follow a skeptical journalist's meditation journey, in a world where—as the Buddha said—everything is burning.

In eight days, the curtain will fall on the Japanese Empire, ushering an end to one of the bloodiest conflicts the world has ever seen. By midnight, the Soviet Union’s Red Army will cross into Japanese territory, and an American B-29 bomber will drop a second atomic bomb on Nagasaki. Still, on August 8, 1945, defiance echoes through the bunker beneath the palace ruins, where the unyielding Big Six, architects of Japan’s national policy, stubbornly resist the looming specter of surrender. Unbeknownst to them and just a few blocks away, young Japanese Army officers are already planning a military coup that, in a few days, will erupt into a brutal frenzy. All while, on the other side of the world, the architects of the deadliest weapon ever created by man notify the American president of the imminent delivery of another bomb. Harry Truman and his joint chiefs of staff continue planning for the seemingly inevitable invasion of Japan while secretly yearning for a shred of reason from the Japanese leaders. Award-winning military historian Peter Zablocki invites readers to witness the countdown to surrender, weaving a tapestry of human resilience, sacrifice, and the pivotal moments that shaped the destinies of nations. EIGHT DAYS IN AUGUST is an enlightening journey into the heart of one of the most critical weeks in human history, beginning on the eve of the Nagasaki explosion and delivering an unforgettable exploration of the complexities that led to Japan’s historic surrender announcement on August 15, 1945 – the end of World War II.  

Over a decade ago Elon Musk began predicting the imminent arrival of self-driving cars. Unleashing a pair of products and a torrent of hype about the technology, Musk has pushed Tesla's stock and his personal wealth to unprecedented heights. Tesla's uniquely aggressive approach to this emerging technology has rushed constantly evolving beta driving systems onto public roads in hopes of accelerating a low-cost general solution to self-driving. Today, despite Musk's torrent of blown predictions and the success of competing robotaxi models, Tesla owners are still waiting for their cars to become fully self-driving. Yet somehow Musk's optimism remains undimmed; Tesla's failure to deliver "Full Self-Driving" capabilities have only pushed him to more ambitious robotics and AI projects, like general purpose humanoid robots and large language models. Meanwhile, federal investigators have tied a string of fatal crashes to the design of its Autopilot system. In ELON TAKE THE WHEEL, author Edward Niedermeyer tears down the wall of misperception and outright misinformation Musk has built around Autopilot and "Full Self-Driving," allowing a general audience to see and judge the reality of these systems for the first time. Through inside accounts, expert perspectives, statistical debunking and historical context, Niedermeyer reveals a scandal hidden in plain sight, while arming readers with the tools needed to understand one of the most important technologies of the next century.

In July 1961, Ernest Hemingway only needed one chapter and a title to finish his new book, provisionally titled “The Paris Sketches.” Rising early, he sat on a bench in his entryway, placed a shotgun in his mouth and pulled the trigger. Public opinion has long dismissed the act as the bitter end of a raving alcoholic—yet Ernest had been limiting himself to two glasses of wine a day per doctor’s order since 1957. In THE FINAL CHAPTER: THE TRUE STORY BEHIND ERNEST HEMINGWAY’S A MOVEABLE FEAST by Hemingway scholar Darla Worden, the events surrounding the famous author’s death read like a thriller, involving the CIA, deterioration of the U.S. relationship with Cuba, FBI surveillance, a conspiracy between his wife Mary and best friend A.E. Hotchner to commit him to the psych ward of the Mayo Clinic for shock therapy, and an unrecognized condition we now call CTE—the consequence of nine concussions suffered during his lifetime. For the first time, the details surrounding Hemingway’s last years are illuminated through recent information, including the release of FBI files and scientific breakthroughs surrounding brain injury. The greatest writer of his time deserves a more fitting tribute than we have been left with. Written in page-turning narrative style that follows the arc of classic tragedy with allusions to King Lear, THE FINAL CHAPTER reveals the behind-the-scenes story of fallen literary king Ernest Hemingway as he races to finish what will become his enduringly popular last work, written while irrevocably losing his mind.

Who doesn’t love a good cheating scandal? Whether it’s the fallout from Lance Armstrong’s doping confession or Martha Stewart’s insider trading, the public is ever eager to consume the twists and turns of adored public figures paying the price for bad decisions, especially when they are caught cheating. However, for every cheating scandal in the media headlines, there are thousands of shenanigans lurking in dark corners. In DATA DIVING: USING FORENSIC ECONOMICS TO UNCOVER CHEATING IN SPORTS AND BUSINESS, Erik Lie (whose research on corporate corruption placed him on Time Magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people in the world) introduces forensic economics—the use of data combined with simple statistical techniques to uncover patterns of fraud. In entertaining stories from NBA match fixing to corrupt judging in winter sports and collusion in the stock market to accounting manipulation, villains, and sometimes heroes, emerge. Weaving together narratives, charts, and illustrations, Lie shows how cheating takes place and how an active research community and a free press hold swindlers accountable.

Lawrence Ware saw Do The Right Thing in a small dollar theater in Oklahoma City. His shoes stuck to the floor as he walked the aisles, and the popcorn he bought was stale. He got some M&Ms to drop in his popcorn bucket and settled in for what he’d been told was a good movie. It was a good one. Great, actually. But he did not expect Lee’s film to save his life. In THE SOUL OF BLACK FILM: How Black Movies Shaped Me, film critic and professor Lawrence Ware blends personal narrative and incisive pop culture writing to tell the story of his coming of age through Black films, from Boyz n The Hood to Rosewood to Black Panther to Daughters of the Dust.  Here are the movies that shaped his thinking, changed his mind, and opened his eyes. His book is a love letter to Black film and an argument for the necessity and transformative power of Black art. Lawrence Ware is a Teaching Assistant Professor in the philosophy department at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma. He is also the associate director of Africana Studies at the university, and a regular contributor on film and TV to Slate Magazine and The New York Times, among others. He is a Top Critic with Rotten Tomatoes, has appeared on Public Radio International, National Public Radio, the Canadian Broadcasting Channel, and WNYC’s The Brian Lehrer Show to discuss film and television. He is the host of the podcast Pretty Much Pop, a spinoff of the hugely popular philosophy podcast Partially Examined Life. (Please note, Jessica Papin is the agent for this project.)

Life's unpredictable passages often leave us feeling lost or trapped, questioning our choices and the path ahead. In THE MINDFUL RESET: THE ART OF DAILY DO-OVERS, author, podcaster and mindfulness teacher Rosie Acosta provides a map to navigate these anxiety-inducing off-road moments, offering actionable insights and practical exercises that foster self-awareness and personal growth. Drawing on her own experiences as a troubled kid who later found a calling as a prison mindfulness teacher, readers will find solace in their own journey, gaining the tools to cultivate resilience, to reset and to thrive. Acosta challenges societal notions of success, empowering readers to define their own path and embrace change as an opportunity for growth. THE MINDFUL RESET is essential reading for those seeking a fresh, down-to-earth perspective on life's transitions.  Rosie Acosta, author of You are Radically Loved: A healing journey to Self-Love has studied yoga and mindfulness for more than 20 years and taught for over a decade. She hosts The Radically Loved Podcast and guest-hosts Dear Headspace and Radio Headspace.  She works with a wide range of students, from those in her East Los Angeles community to Olympic athletes, NFL champions, NBA All-Stars and veterans of war. She has been featured on the cover of Yoga Journal and Spiritual Biz, and has had features in Well + Good, Entrepreneur, CNN en Español, Forbes, and The New York Post. A first-generation Mexican American, Rosie’s mission is to help others overcome adversity and experience radical love. (Please note, Jessica Papin is the agent for this project.)

Managing your own money is hard enough—swooping in to handle somebody else’s affairs is nearly impossible. Yet, most of us will have to do this at some point as financial caregivers, since we are deep in an aging crisis across the globe. Financial caregiving can’t be easily outsourced, because it usually requires the trust of a family member or close friend. But it’s also not something most people have any idea how to do. Where do you start sorting through the mess and emotions involved? That’s where MY MOTHER’S MONEY steps in to help. In this journey of financial caregiving, Beth Pinsker, an award-winning personal finance expert and a certified financial planner, explains how she took over her mother’s finances during an illness, illuminating the full life-cycle of what you need to do from making sure loved ones can afford the care they need and settling their affairs to dealing with bills, paying caregivers and negotiating with Medicare. MY MOTHER’S MONEY also looks at getting estate-planning documents filled out and figuring out how to pay for it all. With warmth and expertise, Pinsker, currently a columnist at MarketWatch, breaks down how to get the motivation to tackle these essential tasks that most people put aside. This book will help several generations at once, from setting up your own affairs to making sure your kids are covered. (Please note, Ann Leslie Tuttle is the agent for this project.)

Cats and music. The “two means of refuge from the misery of life,” as Albert Schweitzer said.  He had a point. Writer Gigi Anders explores that philosophy in her lyrical new memoir, LILLY’S LOVE SONGS. Here, music is the feline food of love, playing on, sparking transformation. There are two lost and broken beings: one is the author, a Washington, D.C., journalist fleeing years of workplace disappointment, only to land in the foreign culture of the Bible Belt. The other is a tiny, traumatized, unwanted kitten, Lilly. Had Gigi not saved her in time, she’d have died.  A first-time cat owner, Gigi tried everything to help Lilly settle into her new world, but she remained afraid and remote. One day, Gigi was playing Beatles love songs. As McCartney began singing “I Will,” Lilly’s lonely fog lifted and cleared. She listened so deeply, that she didn’t hear the music at all. She was the music while the music lasted. What Gigi didn’t know (and nobody knew back in 1997 when she rescued baby Lilly) is that the right music isn’t simply soothing. New research shows music can actually change a cat’s brain and nervous system, releasing endorphins and dopamine. So, love song by love song, a beautiful and life-changing friendship blossomed and grew strong, lasting more than 21 years. LILLY’S LOVE SONGS captures the timeless connection we can have when the right cat, with the right music, rescues us. (Please note, Ann Leslie Tuttle is the agent for this project.)

Despite our best efforts, we are still cave people. Sure, we have built suburbs and cities, roofs and homes, but we have not crawled far from the cavern’s entrance. We think of caves as prehistoric, a relic of who we once were as a people, and yet we can’t seem to leave them behind, building everything from wedding venues to tourist traps within their limestone walls. Caves are big, geologic, formed over millions of years by ancient seabeds and slow dissolution, but they’re also human. THE DEPTHS TO WHICH WE GO, an essay collection by Maddy Frank, examines ancient narratives alongside the lives of caves today in an attempt to discover why we still want to own the absence. We have gotten better at staking our claim, going far beyond painted handprints. Now we have deeds and remote-controlled rovers, tour guides and loudspeakers. In a compelling narrative that is part geological survey, part anthropological study, and part personal journey, Frank travels to 13 American caves that have been shaped by the humans that use them—the owner of the winery in the lava tubes, the attendees at an underground concert, the brave spelunkers, Frank herself. These chapters include science and historical background, but they also center modern people, the ones trying to preserve the things they love. Frank, a science writer at Washington University in St. Louis with a background in geology, follows the story of our love of stone, a love that sometimes turns sensational and exploitative. (Please note, Andrew Dugan is the agent for this project.)

Dimity McDowell thought of running as a best friend—albeit a silent, imaginary one. Running was the friend who complimented her quads (even if the skinny jean trend didn’t agree); who prodded her out the door after a jolting email; who, mile after mile, restored her confidence, soothed her nerves, and reliably refilled her glass-half-empty perspective. When McDowell’s trusted orthopedist gently told her she should, consider not running anymore, due to repeated injuries and chronic pain, she was gutted. Unraveling herself from the sport that both carried and consumed her for almost 25 years took three years—and over 500 (emotionally healing and physically painful) miles. Along the way, she realized how many others were clinging to running; life without the endorphin boost of daily miles, the inclusive community of runners, and the crisp structure of a morning run didn’t seem worthwhile. Sharing McDowell’s complicated separation from running, stories from others transitioning out of running, and expert advice, CROSSING THE FINAL FINISH LINE helps the reader untangle themselves from the habit—and benefits it brings to their lives—before giving them a pep talk and guiding them to the next chapter of their athletic lives. A former contributing editor at Runner’s World, McDowell is the co-author of three running-centric books and the co-founder of Another Mother Runner, a virtual community and training hub for female runners of all levels. (Please note, this project is represented by Kendall Berdinsky.)

Rights Round Up

Audio rights for CHASING THE INTACT MIND by Amy Lutz went to Tantor Media.

I FEEL LOVE by Rachel Nuwer was optioned by Stone Village Television. SNAKE HIPS byt Anne Soffee was optioned by Peck Entertainment, Inc. THE ART OF SCANDAL by Regina Black was optioned by Universal Television LLC. MURDER AS A FINE ART by David Morrell was optioned by Harris Films, LLC.

BLOOD OF TROY by Claire Andrews went to Yabanci for Turkish rights. WHAT MY BONES KNOW by Stephanie Foo went to HVG for Hungarian rights and Biblio Co., Ltd. For Thai rights. THE DISTRACTED MIND by Adam Gazzaley and Larry Rosen went to Jarir Bookstore for Arabic rights. CHRONIC PAIN RESET by Afton L. Hassett went to Riva for German rights. UNTETHERED SKY by Fonda Lee went to Zhorzh/Ranok for Ukrainian rights. IRENA’S CHILDREN by Tilar J. Mazzeo went to Alma Littera for Lithuanian rights.  MOMFLUENCED by Sara Petersen went to China Science and Technology Press Co for Mainland China rights. PLAYING GAMES by Riley Hart went to Second Chances for German rights. NEVER HAVE I EVER GONE SKINNY DIPPING went to Shinshokan for Japanese rights. INTERSTELLAR by Avi Loeb went to Editions Tredaniel for French rights and Agave for Hungarian rights. ISLAND BITES #3 by Natalie Peltier went to Piatkus for UK & Commonwealth rights. THE ROSEWOOD HUNT by Mackenzie Reed went to Poznanskie for Polish rights. THRIVING WITH ANXIETY by David H. Rosmarin went to Commonwealth Publishing for traditional Chinese. THE FASTEST WAY TO FALL and TECHNICALLY YOURS by Denise Williams went to Muza for Polish rights. WATER MOON by Samantha Sotto Yambao went to Arab Cultural Center for Ararbic rights, Big Forest Publishing for traditional Chinese rights, Hea Lugu for Estonian rights, Clayhouse Inc for Korean rights, and Uroboros/Foksal for Polish rights. 13 THINGS STRONG KIDS DO and 13 THINGS MENTALLY STRONG PARENTS DON’T DO by Amy Morin went to Saigon Books Cultural JSC for Vietnamese rights. 13 THINGS MENTALLY STRONG COUPLES DON’T DO went to Jarir Bookstore for Arabic rights, Hermes for Bulgarian rights, and Arete for Serbian rights. THE WALL OF WINNIPEG AND ME by Mariana Zapata went to IBIS for Bulgarian rights and Vivat for Ukrainian rights. DEAR AARON went to Konyvmolykepzo for Hungarian rights. KULTI and THE WALL OF WINNIPEG went to April Books for Dutch rights. TOO LATE by Colleen Hoover went to IBIS for Bulgarian rights. REMINDERS OF HIM and REGRETTING YOU went to 1980Books for Vietnamese rights. TOO LATE and MAYBE NOW went to Euromedia for Czech rights. PUNK 57 by Penelope Douglas went to Jotema for Lithuanian rights. CREDENCE, HIDEAWAY, KILL SWITCH, CONCLAVE, NIGHTFALL, and FIRE NIGHT went to Piper for German rights. HIDEAWAY and KILL SWITCH went to Crossbooks/Planeta for Spanish rights. THE FAVORITES by Layne Fargo went to Konyvmolykepzo for Hungarian rights, Bragelonne for French rights, and Otwarte for Polish rights.

RECENT SALES 

THE PROTÉGÉ by Erica Ridley went to Delacorte in a World rights deal by Lauren Abramo.

UNTITLED BOOK 1 and UNTITLED BOOK 2 by Amy Harmon went to Lake Union in a World rights deal.

KILL THE LAX BRO by Charlotte Balogh went to Delacorte Press in a World English rights deal by Michael Bourret.

PUSH BACK by Tonya Lester, LCSW, went to New World in a World rights deal by Leslie Meredith.

DRESSING UP A JERSEY GIRL by Nicole Melleby went to Algonquin Books for Young Readers in a World rights deal by Jim McCarthy.

I’M STILL HERE by Cathryn Michon, with illustrations by Seth Taylor, went to Andrews McMeel in a World rights deal.

ENCHANTING GIRL by Elizabeth Johnson went to Knopf Books for Young Readers in a World rights deal by Jim McCarthy.

BANNED TOGETHER by Ashley Hope Perez went to Holiday House in a World rights deal by Michael Bourret.

REIMAGINE MENOPAUSE by Andrea Donsky went to Simon & Schuster Canada in a World rights deal by Stacey Glick.

World English rights for Daniel Black’s ISAAC’S SONG went to Hanover Square in a deal by Jim McCarthy

WHAT HAPPENED THEN by Erin Soderberg Downing went to Scholastic in a World rights deal by Michael Bourret.

THE BRIGHT YEARS by Sarah Damoff went to Simon & Schuster in a North American rights deal.

MESSY PERFECT and BOOK TWO by Tanya Boteju went to Quill Tree in a World rights deal by Jim McCarthy.

EVIL AT OUR TABLE by Samantha Stein, PhD, went to Kensington in a North American rights deal by Leslie Meredith.

WILD FOR AUSTEN by Devoney Looser went to St. Martin’s Press in a North American rights deal by Stacey Glick.

LAST DRAGON OF THE EAST and UNTITLED BOOK TWO by Katrina Kwan went to Saga Press in a World English rights deal by Jim McCarthy.

ELEMENT 82 by Aaron Reuben went to Harvard University Press in a World English rights deal by Jessica Papin.

SAVOR by Shari Green went to Sleeping Bear Press in a World rights deal by Ann Leslie Tuttle.

BLACK MILK by Christopher Yates went to Hanover Square Press in a World English rights deal by Jessica Papin.

WORK, A LOVE STORY by Erin Wade went to Wiley in a World rights deal by Stacey Glick.

HANK WORTH MYSTERIES BOOK 7 and BOOK 8 by Claire Booth Chapman went to Severn House in a World English rights deal by Jim McCarthy.

PETAL WHITE AND WATER DARK and UNTITLED BOOK 2 by Hester Fox went to Graydon House in a World rights deal.

THE LIGHT BETWEEN APPLE TREES by Priyanka Kumar went to Island Press in a World English rights deal by Leslie Meredith.

THE DEEP WELL and Book Two by Laura Creedle went to Quill Tree in a World rights deal by Jim McCarthy.

YOUNG RICH WIDOWS and DESPERATE DEADLY WIDOWS by Layne Fargo with Kimberly Belle, Cate Holahan, and Vanessa Lillie went to Sourcebooks in a World rights deal by Sharon Pelletier.

A STORY ONE TELLS by Nicolas Guilhot went to Harvard University Press in a World rights deal.

HARLEQUIN ROMANTIC SUSPENSE UNTITLED BOOKS #1-5 by Tara Taylor Quinn went to Harlequin in a World rights deal by Ann Leslie Tuttle.

DISEASES WITHOUT BORDERS by Marc Zimmer went to Lerner Books in a World rights deal by Jessica Papin.

UNDERGROUND GENIUS by Matthew Algeo went to Island Press in a World rights deal.

THE COSMOS IS A BLACK AESTHETIC: RACE, GENDER, AND THE SOUL OF PHYSICS by Chandra Prescod-Weinstein went to Duke University Press in a World rights deal by Jessica Papin.

ARCHITECT OF APPALACHIA by Charles Goodyear went to Simon & Schuster in a North American and Open Markets deal.

THE EMPTY PATH by Billy Wynne went to New World in a World English rights deal by Leslie Meredith.

THE FUTURE OF FREE SPEECH by Jeff Kosseff and Jacob Mchangama went to Johns Hopkins University press in a World English rights deal.